Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Students Learn About Natural Health Products from Different Information Sources

Natural health products (NHPs) include naturally derived botanical and nonbotanical products. Past research indicates a high prevalence of NHPs use amongst adults in the United States and Canada but does not clearly characterize NHPs use amongst students, ethnic variations of such use, or how users learn about NHPs. We hypothesize that there is a difference between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students in how they learn about NHPs. To investigate this question, we conducted a cross-sectional study at First Nations University of Canada and the University of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, during the fall of 2011. Aboriginal (n=214) and non-Aboriginal (n=749) students participated in the 28 question survey. Our results indicate that Aboriginal students who use NHPs are found in all age groups, are mostly female, are smokers and nonsmokers, and learn about NHPs from Elders and healers. Compared to nonAboriginal students, Aboriginal students rely significantly less on alternative and conventional health providers, electronic media, print media, and advertising as their sources of information about NHPs. Thus, Aboriginal students use Elders or healers as a primary source of information to learn about NHPs, as compared to non-Aboriginal students. Future work should investigate the role of Elder traditional educators to convey NHPs information directed specifically to Aboriginal university students

Influence of dietary mannan-oligosaccharides supplementation on hematological characteristics, blood biochemical parameters, immune response and histological state of laying hens

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to determine the influence of dietary mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS) on the immune system, hematological traits, blood biochemical parameters, and histological state of laying hens. At 34 wk of age, The Mandarah chicken strain's 120 laying hens and 12 cocks were divided into 4 groups, each with 30 hens and 3 cocks. The first group performed as a control group, which nourished on a basal diet. The second, third, and fourth experimental groups received 0.1, 0.2, and 0.5 g/kg of MOS and a base diet, respectively. Birds obtained MOS at numerous doses significantly (P ˂ 0.05) raised serum levels of immunoglobulin Y (IgY), immunoglobulin M (IgM), and avian influenza (AI) antibodies compared to control birds. Furthermore, adding MOS at a level of 0.1 g/kg diet significantly improved the immune response of the control group. Additionally, compared to the control group, treated birds with MOS at various dosages did not significantly enhance hematological parameters such as red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), hemoglobin, and hematocrit. Compared to control birds, birds fed MOS at all levels exhibited considerably lower serum cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) values. Also, compared to other treated birds, MOS-treated birds displayed improved histological examination of the small intestine, isthmus, and testis compared to the control group, particularly in birds fed MOS at 0.1 and 0.2 g/kg diet. It could be concluded that using MOS at 0.1 or 2 g/kg diet can successfully improve the physiological performance and overall health of laying hens

The effect of bariatric surgery on dietary Behaviour, dietary recommendation Adherence, and micronutrient deficiencies one year after surgery

Bariatric surgery (BS) is associated with vitamin and mineral deficiencies, which might be augmented by low adherence to dietary guidelines and inappropriate dietary behaviours. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of BS on eating behaviour, prevalence of nutrient deficiency, level of commitment to diet, and lifestyle recommendations one-year post-BS.A cross-sectional study was conducted among adult patients who underwent BS in 2019 and had follow-up for a year. Age, gender, and clinical data were collected from the hospital system and other information was obtained from questionnaires during phone interviews. A total of 160 patients participated in the study.At 12 months, a significant increase from the baseline values in plasma levels of vitamin B12, folate, vitamin D, iron, corrected calcium, albumin, CRP, and MCV, as well as a significant decrease in BMI was observed. Adherence to dietary and lifestyle recommendations was moderate to high. Emotional, and restrained eating behaviours were moderate with 64.4%, and 77.5%, respectively. External eating was low at 58.1%.The study concluded that pre-and post-bariatric surgery nutrients should be closely monitored